Buried Memories
by Freelance7
Summary: Eren had always wondered what secret Annie was keeping from him, since they got together six months ago. Now, they find that out. Rated T for Language, Mild Sexual Themes, And Mild Violence.


A/N: Based on the Hozier song "Like Real People Do". He is an awesome artist guys, I suggest you listen to his music. I hope you enjoy!

**Buried Memories**

A push of her light blonde fringe, a glide of her light blue eyes, a parting of her light pink lips. These movements alone could send the twenty-one year old Eren Jaeger, who was leaning on a wall of the kitchen, into a trance of beauty induced love. He only met this girl, Annie Leonhart, a half a year ago, but, already, he felt like this was the woman of his dreams, just looking at her making breakfast by the open window in his apartment kitchen. The light reflected her sapphire orbs perfectly, as if the gods above decided to shine her beauty across the town of Maria.

The girl herself, of about twenty-two years, was from Sina, which was not too far from Maria, but not too close either. So it's special when one of them stays at the other's place. Usually they would come over to have dinner with each other and go home. But this time, it was raining hard outside last night, and Annie did not want to drive through the rain.

So Eren suggested her to stay, which he has done before, and she has accepted once, but he would sleep on the couch so that she could sleep on the bed.

This time, though, she didn't want to trouble him, so she offered to sleep on the couch. Eren refused to let her sleep on the couch. That is when she offered, after a little hesitation, that they can sleep in the same bed.

Eren was quite bewildered by it, as that would be a huge step in their relationship. But he accepted, and last night, they slept next to each other, with Annie's small frame cuddled up close to Eren's taller one, embracing his warmth as they laid in the bed, under the covers, asleep.

This is why Annie was wearing his "Rogues" band t-shirt, which, while already big looking on Eren, looked somehow humongous on her. It went down to just above her knees, acting also as a skirt. She thought it looked ridiculous with her wearing it, but Eren just said that it, "Looked cute, like _you_." Which caused Annie to blush madly, only promoting her cuteness to a new level.

"Like I said, Eren, I am not really a good cook." She said, wrinkling her nose at the eggs sizzling on the hot surface of the cast iron that came with the apartment.

Eren looked at the amount of chinese food boxes in his trash can, "Better than getting something at McDonalds." He said, chuckling.

Annie flashed a small smile, which radiated the whole room with her natural splendor, even giving a little giggle alongside it. She has been doing that a lot more now that they are becoming closer. She used to be so stoic and secretive.

Eren's green eyes ran up and down her short but fit stature, taking in every part of her body that he loved, which was practically all of it, even her nose, which she thinks is ugly.

But Eren gave his two cents on the matter a few days ago, when at her place.

"I think it makes you look unique...which I like...you are unique, Annie. A unique girl."

She laughed and just kissed him for the kind compliment. Sadly, it had to be cut short, as Eren had a meeting with some big publisher the next day and needed to get to sleep early. But today, he was free for at least a week before he had another meeting.

Eren is an aspiring author, and recently talked to some publishers about publishing his book, a dramatic action adventure about humanity's struggle to survive against huge monsters. One thing they talked about recently was what the cover should be. Eren wanted it to be an illustration, so he called the one person who he knew was a great artist. Annie.

She gladly accepted, and that was another reason why she was at his place last night, it was a date plus a little meeting to find out what the illustration should be of. They are still figuring it out, but right now, they need a break from it.

"Eren, are you staring at my ass?" Annie asked, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the tall young man.

Eren's eyes turned up, his head soon following, he shook his head, "Not...not specifically your ass…"

Annie smirked and went back to her cooking, glancing up out the window from time to time. She loved the two types of nature. The first was actual nature, the only real kind of nature, and the second was what she liked to call, in her art, 'Urban Nature'. She thought the city had an ecosystem of it's own. People, humans, living together, a community of living organisms, aided by their environment, interacting with one another.

Maria was different from Sina. Maria was a large, sprawling city with a metro system and even it's own airport. Sina was a small town, where the sidewalks were basically the dirt and grass, and everyone knew each other. She had plenty of sketches detailing specific parts of both cities. Like Maria's metro system and Sina's nearby forest. Or Maria's busiest intersection and Sina's happiest park. Or Maria's towering skyscrapers, and Sina's cowering small buildings. She loved every bit of both, and it is all drawn in her sketchbook.

Annie suddenly felt gentle arms wrapping around her waist, her boyfriend embracing her while resting his chin on her head. She couldn't help but smile her usually faint smile, feeling his unshaven face on top of her messy medium length hair.

Eren looked out the window, seeing the bustling city, early in the morning, cars driving hither and thither. _Maria at work, _he thought to himself, turning his head down to place his lips on her head, the skin on skin contact making the small girl inhale a little shakily.

Eren loved making her feel like this, as he remembered after a few dates, she said she was never interested in a man this much. He told her he was never interested in a girl this much. That night they had their first kiss, with Eren pushing her carefully against a tree, holding her hands above her, and gently connecting his lips with hers. They both didn't want it to end, but they realized, after around a minute of kissing, that they had to go home. Annie had an art gallery the next day. Of course, Eren was invited.

Eren felt an elbow nudge at his ribs, telling him to let go. He did so, allowing Annie to put the eggs on two plates. She turned to the young man standing behind her, handing one of the plates to him, "Enjoy...I guess." She said, in a deadpan voice, her sapphire orbs peering up into his emerald ones. Eren took it, smiling as he kissed her on the forehead. The kiss made sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine, making her hairs stand on end.

Eren turned around and walked into the small dining room that was part of the living room. He put his plate down before taking Annie's plate and setting it down on the opposite side. He pulled the chair out for her.

She smiled and sat down, nodding to Eren before he walked to his side of the table and sat down. They began to eat.

Annie turned her head up as she swallowed down her first bite of her eggs, "How are they?"

Eren looked at her, nodding as he chewed on his first bite, "They are good...I like them."

Annie nodded and continued to eat, "So...I was thinking...for the cover...we could have the main character, in the training uniform and holding the swords, standing in front of the wall, and the...what did you call those monsters again?"

Eren glanced up in thought, "Uh...titans...I called them titans."

"Right...and the uh...the biggest titan is peering over the wall at him. The main character is also standing amidst the ruins of his destroyed town."

Eren pressed both of his lips together and pushed them out, slowly nodding, "Yeah...I think that, uh...sounds pretty good to me."

Annie nodded, getting back to her eggs. Eren ate another egg, turning his head back up, "What about the uh...author's picture?"

Annie cocked an eyebrow, "The what?"

Eren blinked, "You know...the uh...the picture they have in the last page of the book, showing who the author is."

Annie's eyes lit up in understanding, "Oh...well...we could take a sexy picture of you."

Eren smirked, "That sounds good...how are you at photography?"

Annie's eyelids lowered, "Eren...you saw my photos at that one art gallery."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, but then his eyes lit up, "Oh...yeah...those were great."

Annie smirked, "Thank you."

Eren nodded, almost done with his eggs. Annie, too, was just about finished with her eggs. They both ate their last bites and got up to get ready for the day.

Eren walked into his room, Annie following after, picking up her clothes and going to the bathroom. He soon heard the sound of the shower turning on, going to his closet, sliding the door open. He reached in and grabbed a beige shirt and a grey flannel jacket with a black hoodie connected to it. He placed them on the bed, grabbing some dark blue jeans.

Not long after, Annie emerged from the bathroom, her hair wet and being put into a messy bun. She looked down at herself to see she was dressed in her white pullover hoodie and light blue jeans.

Eren stepped out of his bedroom, dressed up. He turned to Annie, "Hey...wanna go for a walk in the park...or just a walk in general?"

Annie glanced off to the side, thinking, before nodding, "Yeah, that sounds good." She said, reaching out to grab his hand. Eren smiled and wrapped his fingers around her hand, squeezing it.

He nodded, "Well...let's go."

The Maria Central Park was a beautiful sight. Very large, with trees and foliage every which way. Of course there were paths that led to a fountain in the center. The youth of the city were running around, climbing the branches of the trees, laughing, having a good time while their parents sat by, watching them and smiling.

The sight of the children also made the young couple just entering the park smile. Eren walked alongside his girlfriend Annie, their hands together, their fingers interlocking with each other, her head resting on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Annie raised her head, pulling out her phone. Eren cocked an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

Annie tapped on the screen of her phone a few times, gesturing over to a tree, then pointing at it, "Go lean on that tree. Rest on your shoulder and smile at the camera."

Eren blinked before nodding and walking over to the tree. He looked back at Annie, who nodded, and leaned his shoulder on the tree, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. He looked at the camera of her phone and turned the corner of his lips upward in a smile, revealing his kinda white teeth. His eyes shone in the sunlight peeking through the branches of the tree he stood under.

Annie tapped the white button on her touchscreen as soon as the yellow square focused onto Eren, the phone producing a fake camera flashing sound. She looked at the picture afterwards and smiled, gesturing for him to come over.

Eren pushed himself off of the tree, walking over to stand behind his girlfriend, looking down at the picture on her phone. It was in black and white. He suddenly understood why she took the picture.

"This would be a good author's picture, yeah?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

Eren smiled and nodded, "Yeah, that looks great."

Annie nodded, locking her phone and putting it in her pocket, "Good, I will get it printed out as soon as I can."

Eren nodded, grabbing her hand and leading her down the path again. Their shoes hit the stone path, their footsteps loud only to them.

Soon enough, they saw the fountain in sight, shooting water up into the air and down into the water. Children were seen dipping their hands into the cold liquid, and some were flipping coins into it, possibly making a wish.

The young couple walked over and sat down onto one of the benches, relaxing. Eren wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close so that she could rest her head on his chest.

Eren watched a child run past them, a few other children following after. Eren smiled slightly, which quickly disappeared as, while not visibly showing it until now, something has been bugging him for a while. He sighed.

Annie felt his sighed in his lungs and turned her head up to look at him, "Eren...what's wrong?"

The young man glanced at his lover briefly before turning his head to look off to the side. He inhaled and exhaled, "I know...I know you don't like to talk about it, but...I feel like we won't get much farther in this relationship if I don't know…"

Annie cocked an eyebrow, "Eren…?"

Eren bit his lip, glancing down at her again, he nodded, "I just...when we first met...six months ago…"

_**Six Months Ago**_

Green emerald eyes stared at the words on the screen, sighing as he ran his fingers through his dark hair, "Damn...damn it!" He cursed, slamming his palms flat on his small desk in front of a window of his apartment, the vibration slightly making his laptop shake.

Writer's block is the bane of their existence. Right when they were _just_ on a roll, typing words like there was no tomorrow, their fingers, almost in a rapid flurry across the keyboard, stop as the part of their brain creating the story, like a car, hits a roadblock, and will be forced to stay there until further notice.

Writer's block was just now affecting the mind of Eren Jaeger, his face resting in his hands as he tried and tried to figure out what to do next. He grunted and stood up, walking around his living room area, his eyes never leaving the screen. He stopped just in front of his laptop, sighing as he knew a way to help.

One of Eren's writer's block breakers is walking through the forest between his city and the town of Sina. He sat in his car, his grey 2013 Nissan Versa, driving on the road to get there. The clouds above covered the sky, shielding the people below from the sun. Eren knew what this meant, just as the first drop hit his windshield.

_Rain._

He turned on the wipers, the two black scrubbers waving to and fro. Rain wouldn't ruin his trip. He actually liked the rain.

Every so often, a car would pass by him, their lights a blur to his eyes as he drove past them. He was getting closer now. Already, his mind was starting to flow again. But now that he is out here, might as well finish what he set out to do.

As he got close to the area, he saw something peculiar. There was a car, a white 1965 Ford Mustang, parked on the left side of the road on the dirt. _This is where I would usually stop_, he thought to himself. He pulled off to the side, onto the dirt. He stopped the car and put it in park. His head turned up to look at the car again. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the door to get out.

He felt the rain hitting his skin as he closed the door to his grey car, locking it. He stood at the side of the road, looking both sides before running across, skidding to a halt next to the white car. He looked through the windows, not seeing anyone or anything. He then looked off to the forest which stood just by this side of the road. He pulled his hood up over his head before entering.

The sound of raindrops hitting the leaves of trees filled the air, silencing the sound of his footsteps crunching against the dirt and grass.

But as Eren walked deeper in, he could hear more sounds. It sounded like a shovel penetrating the dirt. He began to walk faster towards the source of the noise, eventually coming out to a small clearing.

His eyes scanned the area, eventually spotting a figure in front of a freshly buried hole, the shovel next to them. The figure was in a white hoodie pullover, the hood up, and was bending over, looking like they were crying. Eren slowly began to walk over.

As he got closer, he called out, "Hello?"

The figure turned to him, showing the face of a young woman, a fringe of light blonde hair hanging down in front of one of her wide light blue eyes. Tears were seen streaking down her face. She knelt there in surprise until she shook her head, quickly getting up and using the sleeve of her pullover to wipe her face of the tears. Once she was done, her face was solid, stoic.

But Eren could see through it, especially after seeing her crying like that. He frowned, "What's wrong?"

She spoke in a regular voice, nonchalant, but also straining and quivering, "Nothing...nothing. I am fine."

"But I jus-"

"I am fine." She repeated.

Eren nodded, looking her up and down, her body language not giving a lot away, but he could sense some weakness in there. He decided not to push more on the subject. He tried a different approach. He stepped back, gesturing for her to follow.

"Come on, let's get out of the rain."

The girl cocked an eyebrow, looking up as if she didn't know it was raining, "Oh...it is raining."

Eren nodded, walking back and grabbing her shovel, "Come on, let's get you in some shade."

She frowned at him for a little bit before sighing and nodding, following him as he walked into the shelter of the trees, "I don't need your help."

Eren smirked as he looked over his shoulder, "But you decided to take it anyway."

The girl looked down, her hood blocking a little smirk, before turning her head back up, the smirk gone, "You are probably...wondering why I was out there, huh?"

Eren shrugged, "Kinda, but it's your privacy." He said, tossing the shovel to her.

She caught the shovel, holding it in both hands, "Well...thank you...then...for respecting that. Why are _you_ out here?"

Eren gestured for her to follow. She hesitated but eventually agreed. They walked past the trees as Eren spoke, "I had a case of writer's block. So I decided to come out here to help with that. Then I found you."

She looked down, "Oh...okay…"

"What's your name?"

Her head shot up, "What?"

Eren turned around, walking backwards, "Your name," He said, almost hitting a tree, "What's your name?"

She inhaled and looked off to the side. She looked back, "You first."

Eren sighed and nodded, "Alright. My name is Eren Jaeger, just turned twenty-one."

She nodded and bit her lip, "M-my name is Annie...Annie Leonhart. And I...just turned twenty-two like...a week ago."

Eren turned back around so that he was facing forward, but slowed his pace to that he could walk next to Annie, "Really? What's your birthday?"

Annie sighed, "Uhm...March...March twenty-second."

Eren's eyes lit up, "Wow. Mine is March thirtieth."

Annie nodded, "Cool…"

Eren glanced over at the almost stoic girl, thinking of a way to start up another conversation, "Uh...where are you from?"

Annie looked up at him, "Uh...Sina."

"Maria."

"Cool…"

As they exited the forest, Eren cocked an eyebrow at Annie, "Are you sure you are okay?"

Annie blinked before looking away, "Yes…"

Eren frowned, but shook his head, "Alright."

As they reached her car, Annie wiped her face again before nodding to Eren, "Well...it was nice...t-to meet you Eren."

Eren nodded back, "Nice to meet you too Annie." He said, walking over to her car door and opening it for her.

She put the shovel in the trunk and closed it. She looked at Eren with confusion before blinking and getting inside. Eren closed the door, smiling to her before running across to get to his car.

Once he reached it, he unlocked it and got inside, the rain starting to pick up, hitting his windshield like bullets. He was about to turn his car on, but decided to look back at Annie.

She was holding the steering wheel, at two and ten, her head resting on the top. Her hood was down, so her fringe hung down in front of her, shaking as she was crying to herself. Eren felt bad, like if he left now, he would feel guilty. He felt the obligation to help this poor girl. He sighed before getting out of the car and back into the pelting rain.

As he got closer, one of her hands turned into a fist, as she began to pound the wheel with it. Eren gently rapped his knuckles against the window, making her jump slightly, but when she saw it was him, she relaxed a bit. Eren gestured for her to unlock the passenger side door.

She hesitated, but, feeling like she could trust Eren now that they talked about each other, unlocked the door for him. He walked around and got in, shutting the door close.

He turned to look at the girl, who was leaning her head against the window, she glanced at him, "Well...th-there you have it, Eren...y-you get to see a girl...like me...have her walls broken. I have...I have tried all my life to not show any emotions, as I didn't want to look weak. But...but…"

"...What you were burying back there...was just something so close to you? Something you lost?"

Annie closed her eyes and nodded, "Please...I don't want to talk about it...but now...I can't get home."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "Why?"

Annie gestured to the fuel indicator on her dashboard, "I ran out of gas driving here...I decided I would drive as far as I can with a low tank of gas and see where it takes me. Then I would bury it there."

"Can't you call someone? Family? Friends?"

More tears fell from her closed eyes as she took a deep breath, "No...no I don't...I left my phone at home...and I barely have any friends...or family…"

Eren nodded, "Well...why don't I drive you to Maria? That's closer than Sina."

Annie shook her head, "No...no need...I can just...walk home...or get someone to bring me there…"

"I am not letting you walk back alone, and I am not going to let some creep pick you up. Come on. I will drive you to Maria, get someone to tow your car back and fill it with gas, then you can be on your way home."

Annie turned her head to look at Eren, "Why should I trust you?"

Eren looked down at himself, "Well...I am in your car right now...so I think you do trust me. But if you want a reason...I don't know...because I am a nice guy?"

Annie looked at him before looking out the window, sighing. Eren looked out the passenger side window.

"Okay."

Her answer pierced through the noise of the rain hitting the car. Eren looked over, "You sure?"

Annie nodded, "Yes. Just remember that, if you try anything, I will drop your ass."

Eren was frightened by how serious her tone was. He nodded, "Of course. Come on, let's get going." He said, getting out of the car with her. She ran across first, then him.

Eren opened the door for her. She nodded to him before getting into the passenger's seat. He walked around and got in the driver's seat. They were both soaking wet, so as soon as Eren turned on the car, he turned up the warm air conditioning. Eren did a U-turn before driving down the road. They kept silent.

Halfway through the drive back, Eren didn't like the silence that was culminating, so he thought of a conversation starter.

"So...Annie...uh...what do you do?"

Annie was slightly surprised that he randomly asked her a question. She looked over with her red puffy eyes, before looking ahead, "I like to draw, paint, sketch. I want to be an artist, and I have submitted my art to an art gallery, to see if anyone would take it. I will see how it goes tomorrow."

Eren nodded, "Well, I wish you luck tomorrow."

She hesitated before saying, "Thanks...good luck on your writer's block."

"Thanks...my mind has cleared, so I think I will be able to continue."

"That's good." She said, sniffling.

Eren glanced at her, "So...how are you doing?"

Annie nodded, "I am...I am getting better...thanks...I just needed to bury it."

Eren nodded, "Well...as long as you are okay."

Annie sniffed, "Thanks…for helping me, I mean."

Eren shook his head, "It's nothing…"

Annie leaned her head against the window, glancing out to it. _It's something to me_, she thought to herself.

When they arrived in Maria, Eren found a repair shop and parked his car. He pulled the key out of the ignition, listening to the raindrops before smiling to Annie and getting out. Eren took the lead, walking up to the door and opening it for Annie, who nodded to him and walked inside.

A short young man stood in the room, seeing the two walk in. He smiled at them, recognizing one of them, "Ah, Eren, hey, what are you doing here? And who is this?" He asked, nodding to Annie, who just stood there, staring at him with bored eyes.

Eren smiled, "Connie, hey, it's not me who needs help, it's her. Uh...her car ran out of gas and she wants it to be towed and filled up. It's stuck between here and Sina, it's a white 1965 Ford Mustang."

Connie nodded, "Alright...okay...I will get Sasha to pick it up." He said, walking to the door opposite from the front door, opening it and leaning out, "Sasha! We got a '65 Ford Mustang out of gas between us and Sina! It's white!"

A woman's voice was heard, "Yeah, I got it, Connie!"

The sound of a truck coming to life echoed throughout the garage, the noise of it moving getting lower and lower until it was finally gone.

Connie gestured to the sofa in the room, "Sit down, it will be a while."

Eren looked at Annie, who was already sitting down on the sofa. Eren nodded and walked over, sitting down next to her. Eren began to wonder how long "a while" would be. He looked at the clock. It was 5:30.

_**3 Hours Later**_

In the three hours that passed, the two fell asleep. Eren was resting his armpit on the armrest, his right arm hanging off the side. Annie was resting her head on his left side. A scene of perfect serenity.

The loud grinding sound of a tow truck coming in woke them both up, their eyes opening and looking at each other. Almost quickly, Annie sat up, looking around the room. Eren followed after, looking at Annie. He could see a hint of blush appear on her cheeks.

Turning her head to him, their eyes met. Eren realized he was staring, and looked away, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

Before anything could be said about what just happened, Connie bursted in, "We got your car. We are filling it up now."

Annie looked at Connie, nodding, "Okay...thanks...tell me when it's ready."

Connie nodded, "Yes, ma'am." Before leaving.

Eren looked at the doorway Connie was at a second ago, then at Annie. She didn't look, like she was too nervous to meet his eyes again.

Eventually, Eren nodded and turned his head towards something else, "It was nice...knowing you, I mean…"

Annie nodded, "Yeah...it was nice. And again...thanks."

"Don't mention it…"

Annie shook her head, looking at Eren, "No, I should. No stranger has ever shown me such kindness as you have...you didn't take advantage of me when my emotions were out of control...and that is...I am just thankful that it was you and not some other guy."

Eren looked back, their eyes meeting as she spoke. When she stopped, he opened his mouth to say something, but then Connie came in, "It's all filled up."

Annie nodded, standing up, she reached into her pocket. Eren stood up and shook his head, taking out his wallet to get some money out, "Don't. I will pay. Here you go Connie, for the gas."

Annie looked at Eren, "You don't...need to…"

Eren shook his head again, "I want to…" He said, walking to the door to the garage, he opened it for Annie.

Annie, looking down like as if she were ashamed, walked out the door. Eren followed her out to her car,

When they reached the car, she turned around, "Well...I guess this is the end of the road…"

Eren nodded, "Maybe I will see you another ti-"

He was interrupted by Annie wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Her voice was slightly muffled, "Thank you, Eren...thank you…"

Eren was surprised by the sudden show of affection. He hugged her back, "You're welcome, just get home safely."

Annie let go, nodding, "I will…" She said before getting into the car. Eren took a few steps back.

The young woman gave him a faint smirk before putting the key into the ignition. She turned it, the car sputtering, but not starting.

She frowned, and turned it again. More sputter, no start.

She did it one more time. Nothing.

Quickly, Annie got out, seeing Eren with a confused face, "It won't start…"

The two stood back as Connie checked the car out. Annie watched him, "Anything?"

Connie glanced at Annie before nodding, "Lady...you have a broken fuel pump. It happens in these late model cars if they run out of gas. We will have to replace it. My apologies."

Annie shook her head, "It's my fault. Okay...how much will it cost?"

Connie did the math in his head, "About...four hundred and sixty dollars. But here's the thing. We ran out of stock, so we have to call in for a new one. I will do the call, they should be able to deliver tomorrow."

Annie sighed, "Tomorrow? Crap…"

Connie nodded and walked out to make the call.

Eren turned to Annie, "Well...you can stay at my apa-"

Annie held a hand up, "No, please. I don't deserve all this kindness, just stop. I will just...get a motel room or...something…"

Eren nodded, "You sure?"

Annie nodded, "Yes...I...I am sure…"

Eren looked off to the side, "Well...I live in Shiganshima Apartments, on the corner of Freedom Street and Scout Road, room number five. It's across from the park, you can't miss it. I am telling you this just in case."

Annie glanced at him before nodding and walking past him, pulling her hood up and hailing a taxi. One pulled up, she opened the door, looking at Eren one last time before getting in. She said something to the driver, who nodded and drove off. Eren stood there, watching the cab drive off before it vanished from his eyesight.

Eren sighed and shrugged, "Well...I guess I did my part…" He said before walking over to his car, not bothering to put on his hood as he opened the door and got in. He watched the droplets splatter against the glass of his windshield. Eventually, he put the key in the ignition and turned it, starting the car up.

The apartment door opened, a melancholy looking young man walked in, closing the door behind him as he glanced around his apartment. Eren sighed and locked the door, tossing his keys onto a nearby table. He glanced at his closed laptop, shaking his head before getting on his couch. He kicked his shoes off, grabbing the nearby remote and turning the TV on. _Nothing good is on_, he thought to himself_, but I might as well just watch. _

Eren decided after a few moments of laying down to get up, walking to the kitchen. He opened the small pantry and reached into to pull out a small bag of ramen. He placed it on the counter, reaching down to open a cabinet and produce a small pot. He filled it with water and began to boil it.

After a few minutes, when it was boiling, he ripped open the bag and put in the ramen, setting the flavoring aside. He grabbed some tongs and pushed the dry noodles around in the hot water.

Midway through cooking the ramen, he heard his buzzer go off. He put the tongs down and walked over, pressing the button, "Who is it?" He asked, letting go of the button.

There was silence for a few moments before her voice came through, "It's...Annie…"

Eren pressed the button, surprised, "Oh...hey, Annie…"

"Can I come up...please?"

Eren pressed the button, "Yeah, of course." He said, pressing the button to open the apartment building door for her.

Eren turned around and walked over to the finished ramen, shutting off the stove and pouring the ramen into a bowl. He then dumped the flavoring in and mixed it around.

Just as he was done, a knock came to his door. He placed the bowl down and made his way to the door. He grabbed the knob and twisted it, opening the door for the small blonde woman, who was soaked to the bone and looked like she had been crying. She passed him, "S-sorry about all of the water...I had to walk here. Turns out...I forgot my wallet...so they kicked me out."

Eren shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I can see if I got some clothes for you to wear?"

Annie looked at Eren, pushing her wet fringe behind her ear, whipping some water onto the nearby wall, her light blue eyes giving away her weakness, "Can you?"

Eren nodded, walking into his room, leaving Annie alone in the living room. She didn't want to make anything wet, so she just stood there, shivering.

Not too long after, Eren came out with a medium sized shirt and some sweatpants, handing them to her and opening the bathroom door for her, "Take a shower if you need to."

Annie looked down at herself, then up at Eren, before nodding and walking past him into the bathroom, Eren closing the door behind her.

Eren walked over to the pantry and grabbed another bag of ramen. As he got the water ready, he could hear the water of the shower begin to turn on. He smiled. _Glad to help_.

The bathroom door opened, and the small young woman walked out, seeing Eren sitting on the couch. He looked over his shoulder, "Hey, have a good shower? How do the clothes fit?"

Annie looked down at herself, nodding, "They fit pretty well."

Eren nodded, "Come on, sit down, I made you some dinner. Like ramen?"

Annie cocked an eyebrow as she walked around the couch, sitting down in front of a fresh bowl of ramen, she shrugged, "I like it...I guess." She said, grabbing the bowl and eating some noodles.

A moment of silence grew between the two. Annie decided to break it, "I am sorry for...the way I acted back at the repair shop."

Eren looked at her, swallowing the noodles he had in his mouth and shaking his head, "No, I understand...pride, right?"

Annie nodded, "Yeah...something like that…"

Eren looked back at the TV, gesturing to his bedroom, "You can sleep in there. I will sleep on the couch."

Annie looked at him, "No...Eren…"

Eren looked at her, "Go ahead. I crash on the sofa a lot when I am too tired to get from my laptop to my bed. Please, just sleep there for tonight."

Annie looked down before nodding, "O...okay...thanks…"

Eren just simply nodded to her.

_**The Next Morning**_

Eren's eyes opened to the sunlight pouring through the windows. He blinked a few times, then reached up to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He rolled off the couch, getting up and running his fingers through his hair. He noticed something was wrong.

The bedroom door was open.

Eren cocked an eyebrow, yawning as he walked into the bedroom to find the bed empty. _Did she leave?_ He asked himself, discouraged.

He walked out of the bedroom, noticing a piece of paper on the table. He reached down and picked it up. It was a note from Annie, it read:

_Eren,_

_I apologize that I had to leave so early. I have to get to the art gallery before I'm late. Connie replaced the fuel pump, and he trusted me enough that he sent you the bill. We both know you would have paid for it, don't lie. And thank you, for everything that you had done for me yesterday, I am grateful. I never thought I would meet a gentleman like you. So again. Thank you._

_Sincerely, Annie_

_P.S. Call Me_

Her number followed, written down. Just for him.

Eren smiled, putting the paper down. He looked at his computer, nodding to himself as he sat down and opened it up. _Time for Chapter 2_.

_**Six Months Later**_

Annie rested her head on the window of Eren's car, seeing the road go by as they were almost to their destination.

Eren kept his eyes on the road, "I hope I didn't force you into anything, I-"

"No, no. It's fine. We have been going out for long enough and...you're right, it will help our relationship. Strengthen it. I need to get it out of the way."

Eren smiled, turning his head briefly to look at Annie, who was smiling back, "I am glad you want to do this. No matter what, Annie, no matter what...I will always support you...you know that…"

Annie nodded, "I know...and that's why I love you."

Eren nodded, reaching out for her hand. She reached out and grabbed it, squeezing it. They were getting close.

Eren slowed down his car, stopping off to the side, putting it in park, he pulled the keys out and looked at Annie, "Last chance, Annie...you want to do this?"

Annie gave a sad smile, "I...I have to…" She said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Once she was done, she nodded to her boyfriend, "Let's do this."

Eren nodded, and they exited his car. He walked around to the trunk and opened it, pulling out a big blanket and a shovel, tossing the latter to Annie. He then shut the trunk and locked his car, both he and Annie running across the road, skidding to a halt in front of the forest.

They stood there, in silence, taking everything in. The sky was clear and blue, the trees healthy and tall, and the birds loud and musical. The couple looked at each other before grabbing each other's free hands and walking into the forest.

As they passed the trees, Eren could feel Annie pulling herself closer to him. Eren looked down at Annie, who looked up at him, giving a faint smile. Eren smiled back and leaned down to kiss her, their lips connecting in a show of affection and protection, going both ways.

Their shoes crunched the grass beneath them, the clearing coming into view. The sun shone through the limbs of the trees surrounding, giving a beautiful scene. Eren stopped at the edge of the clearing, looking at Annie. She looked back, nodding and pulling him along, "Set up the blanket, I will dig it up."

Eren nodded and followed her to the center of the clearing, rolling the blanket down nearby. After that, Eren looked at Annie, who had the shovel in her hands.

The silence grew as she hesitated, the only noise being the birds chirping. Annie began to feel the tears coming. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, raising the shovel, ready to stab it into the dirt. She stopped again, her breathing picking up as she stared at the spot she knew her past was buried.

Eren walked over, placing a hand on the shovel. Her head turned to look at him, his eyes offering to do it for her. She shook her head, "I got this." She said in a quivering voice.

Eren nodded and let go of the shovel, stepping back, "You got this."

Annie nodded at him before looking back at the spot. She took another deep breath, then raised the shovel thrusting it down into the dirt, breaking it and penetrating deep down. She lifted the dirt and dropped it next to her. She stabbed, dug up, and dropped. Stabbed, dug up, and dropped.  
Annie did this over and over again until finally she hit something hard, a loud thunk echoing around the clearing. She glanced at Eren, who nodded, reaching for the shovel. She handed it to him, getting down on her knees to swipe at the remaining dirt to reveal a brown wooden box sitting there, a lock keeping it closed.

Annie picked it up and placed it on the ground next to her. She rubbed the dirt off her hands before picking up the box again, standing up to bring it to the blanket. Eren followed her, shovel in hand.

Annie placed the box with the lock facing up on the blanket. She held her hand out, her fingers wrapping around the shovel Eren handed to her. Taking it again in both hands, she raised it, then thrusted down onto the lock, a burst of sparks flying hither and thither. She glanced at Eren, who nodded to her. Annie wiped some small sweat off of her forehead, taking a deep breath as she felt the tears coming back.

Once she recovered not long after, she raised the shovel, and brought it down on the lock, breaking it with a loud _clink_.

Eren walked over and sat down on the blanket with Annie doing the same. She put the shovel down, reaching over to put the box right side up, pulling the lock off and throwing it to the side.

Annie retracted her hands, staring at the box. Eren crawled around to sit next to her, "Come on, Annie. You're strong…"

Annie looked at him, nodding as she closed her eyes, pushing the tears back, and breathing deeply. Opening her eyes, she reached over and pushed open the box, revealing her past to Eren.

It was an assortment of pictures and objects. Various people Eren has never seen were in these pictures, standing or sitting next to Annie, smiling while she gave her trademark smirk.

Annie breathing picked up again. The tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks as she reached out and grabbed a picture.

This was a picture of a lady who looked like an older version of Annie, standing next to what he thought to be young Annie. He knew who it was. He also lost a person like this.

Annie looked at the picture, "My mother...she passed away from cancer after fighting for two long years. She died when I was twelve. I didn't see her in the hospital because I didn't want my last sight of her to be hooked up to machines."

Eren nodded. Annie put the picture down, reaching in to pick up another picture, this time of an older man.

"This was my dad...he took care of me when mom died, and I am grateful. He taught me to be strong...and to fight...and I miss him...he died from a failed surgery when I was eighteen."

Eren nodded again, wrapping an arm around Annie's shoulders. She turned her head to look at him, tears sliding down her cheeks. Eren reached over and wiped the tears away with his thumb, "Continue...you are doing great." He said, kissing her.

Annie took a deep breath to calm herself, nodding, "Right…" She said, her voice shaking as she put the picture of her dad down and reached in to grab one of a large muscular blonde man.

"This is my friend Reiner...he was so funny, treated me like a sister, took care of me, sparred with me," She said, smiling sadly, "He was in the army. His Humvee was blown up onto it's underside. He bled to death before the medics could get to him. I was nineteen."

She put the picture up to her forehead, closing her eyes as the tears came down, her body shaking. She took a deep breath and put the picture down, looking at her boyfriend with large, piercing blue eyes.

Eren's green eyes met hers. He nodded, "You can do this…" He said encouragingly.

Annie looked back at the opened box, nodding. She reached in and pulled out a picture of a tall brunette man, "This…" She stopped to wipe her sleeve underneath her nose, pushing the tears away, "This was my boyfriend, Bertholdt, he was best friends with Reiner. He comforted me a lot and he knew how to make me smile, like you. He was stabbed to death on the way home by a mugger. I was twenty."

She dropped the photo, letting it fall to the ground as she reached up to hold herself, choking on her tears. Eren held her close to him, "Come on, Annie, you got one more...I am right here…just be strong…"

Annie nodded, wiping the tears from her face as she sniffed, taking very deep breaths. She took one more deep breath before reaching in and pulling out a picture of a young woman, with loose pigtails, smiling widely at the camera.

Annie took a deep breath again, "I only recently moved to Sina. I used to live in Stohess. I moved to get away from all of the memories. When I got to Sina, I met this one girl. Mina. She quickly became my best friend, even though we were complete opposites. She was the only person I ever showed my feelings to after I moved, except for you." She said, leaning her head onto Eren's chest, her tears hitting the cloth of the blanket below. Another deep breath, "She comforted me a lot." She took another deep breath, "She was hit by a drunk driver on the way to my place. I was twenty-one."

She placed the photo down and sunk deeper into Eren, wrapping her arms around him and crying into his shirt.

Eren held her close to his chest, looking at all of the pictures of the people she has lost. _How was she able to stay so strong in public? _He thought to himself, tears beginning to fall out of his eyes too.

He felt her pull her head back, "Please...please, Eren...don't leave me…"

Eren shook his head, "I wouldn't dream of it…"

_**Afterwards**_

Eren closed the trunk door, walking around to get in the driver's seat. He looked to the passenger seat to see Annie, sitting there, her eyes red and puffy, but the tears were gone. She looked back at him, smiling at him, "Thank you...for doing this...I couldn't have done it on my own…"

Eren smiled and nodded, leaning in to kiss her, with her accepting graciously.

He pulled back, "I suggested it, so of course I wanted to be with you. I love you Annie...I love you…"

Annie smiled, nodding, "You gonna drive me home?"

Eren's eyes lit up as he remembered something, "Wait, I got something…" He said, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a metal key, shining in the sunlight. He held it out to her, "Here."

Annie looked at the key with a curious face, she looked up, "What is this for?" She asked.

Her eyes then widened, realizing what it was.

Eren grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently, "Annie Leonhart...would you move in with me?"

Annie stared at Eren with wide eyes, glancing back down at the key. She smiled, "Bring me back to my house."

Eren's eyebrows lowered, disheartened. He turned the key in the ignition, starting the car up.

"We need to pack up my stuff as soon as possible so that we can get back before it gets late."

Eren's eyes widened as a smile appeared on his lips, he nodded, "Let's go then." He said, getting back onto the road to Sina.

Annie smiled and rested her head on the window, looking out at the passing trees. She closed her eyes, seeing her friends and family before her.

"I've moved on, guys. I've moved on."

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed. I wrote this in one day, which I am pretty amazed at myself. I know it was sad in the end, I am sorry. But I hope I caused some sort of reaction in you all. Remember to leave comments. Thank you for reading!


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